Village PM | Brand History, Shoe Breakdown & More!

Is it a skate shoe? Is it a climbing shoe? No, it's Village PM! Find out everything you need to know about the dopest new skate shoe brand to hit our shelves below!

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It's pretty rare to see something entirely new in skateboarding, or even in life more generally. Skate shoes in particular have become pretty formulaic over the years with a lot of shoes simply being a different spin on the same silhouette (like the Nike SB Dunk vs the New Balance Numeric 480). It's also not uncommon for skate brands to borrow from other sports, with basketball-inspired shoes like the Dunk and 480 being particularly popular at the moment, as well as brands like Last Resort taking inspiration from more traditional footwear like loafers and moccasins. This makes it even more exciting when a brand like Village PM comes along that's actually doing something different.

What is Village PM?

In case you aren't familiar, Village PM was founded by life-long skaters Basile Lapray and Bram De Cleen, alongside the guidance of footwear genius, Julien Traverse - founder of outdoor footwear specialists, All Triangles, and reportedly the man who helped take Salomon from the reserve of geography teachers and outdoor enthusiasts into the mainstream - who's helped make their dream a reality. The name itself pays tribute to Basile and Bram's rural 'Village' upbringing while the 'PM' part celebrates those afternoons spent skating (because what self-respecting skater gets up before midday?).

Priding themselves on innovation, Village PM is all about pushing the boundaries of skate technology and this is clear to see in their range of shoes which is unlike anything we've ever seen before. Working alongside All Triangles in their top-secret laboratory in the French Alps, Village PM have utilised All Triangles' outdoor footwear expertise and technology and adapted it for use in skateboarding to produce skate shoes that not only look different but feel different.

Although taking inspiration from sports footwear isn't exactly an NBD, where Village PM set themselves apart is through the specific activity they've chosen to borrow from: rock climbing. While climbing shoes may seem like a slightly bizarre choice given how highly specialised they are and the fact that they're not exactly known for their comfort or aesthetics, Village PM have taken some of the best aspects of their design (while leaving some of the less desirable parts) and adapted them for skateboarding to create a range of skate shoes that truly break the mould.

Village PM Skate Shoe Tech

Combining All Triangles' expertise with some of the finest technology from climbing shoes and their passion for skating, Village PM skate shoes feature a range of unique features to help revolutionise your skating. One of the most notable differences is that they've used climbing rubber, rather than the rubber you'd usually find on skate shoes, which is specially designed for maximum grip and sensitivity to help stick to the rock and feel out foot placements, which obviously translates to skating as unparalleled grip and boardfeel.

This climbing rubber isn't just limited to the sole either as it also wraps up around the front of the shoe to provide a protective toe-cap to help prevent blow-outs as well as providing next-level flick. It's worth noting that the rubber may even feel too grippy at first (which is pretty common in toe-cap shoes anyway) but once it's had a little bit of time to break-in and soften up it offers the perfect blend of flick and durability. What makes this even more exciting is that fact that this rubber can even be replaced by a cobbler once it's started to wear through, giving these already long-lasting shoes even more life so you don't have to buy a new pair every month.

The flexible outsole and wrap-around climbing rubber construction forms part of what Village PM refer to as their Rubber Glove Technology - along with the drop-in EVA midsole for additional comfort - which combines all your favourite aspects of vulcanised, cupsole and toe-cap constructions in one shoe. The sensitivity of the climbing rubber provides the boardfeel of a vulc, the EVA midsole adds an extra layer of cushioning for long-lasting comfort and support, and the rubber rand gives the shoe a more structured feel like you'd expect from a cupsole while also offering a precision fit which molds to the shape of your foot over time.

Likewise, another design choice they've lifted from climbing shoes is the asymmetrical shape. Intended to better embrace the natural shape of your foot for a more comfortable fit, this asymmetrical shape also helps put more power through your toes to help with popping and scooping tricks, as well as allowing for more precise foot placements while setting up. Working alongside this asymmetrical shape, Village PM skate shoes also feature an extended lacing system which runs all the way down to the toe cap to further help you dial in the perfect fit.

Village PM 1PM vs 1:30PM

The Village PM range currently features two separate models, the 1PM and the 1:30PM, which are effectively two different executions of the same shoe to help better cater to a range of tastes. If you're up for diving in the deep end, the Village PM 1PM is the true embodiment of their original vision with a full climbing rubber rand wrapping around the entire shoe, forming an ollie patch on the side and extra protection around the heel alongside the standard toe cap, as well as heel pull loops for easy entry and a more complete climbing shoe experience.

Alternatively, if you're looking to ease yourself in a bit more then the Village PM 1:30 PM may be the one for you as it's essentially a mellowed-out version of the 1PM. While it still utilises the same last and climbing rubber toe-cap, the 1:30PM doesn't feature the full wrap-around rand and instead keeps things a bit more classic with it's vulc-esque construction that you'll probably find more familiar, while still offering the innovative look and performance that Village PM pride themselves on.

Village PM FW25 Collection

For their FW25 collection, Village PM have treated us to a load of fresh colourways in both models. For the Village PM 1PM, we've got the OG Black/Black, the tasty new Chocolate/Black, the sleek Blueprint/Black and the incredible Mud/Bush for those real-tree camo vibes. Likewise, for the Village PM 1:30PM we've got the timeless Black/White, the stylish Grey/Black and the unique Gloss Black/Black with its shiny PU-coated upper that's perfect for if you really want to switch things up.

Village PM Skate Team

Obviously no skate brand is complete without a team to represent them so of course Village PM have recruited a crack squad of stylish Euros to show off the capabilities of their stylish Euro shoes. The Village PM skate team currently features the likes of Yardsale pro and all-around legend, Thaynan Costa, alongside some lesser-known talent like Joffrey Morel, Nico Gisonno, Logan Da Silva Ortiz, Augustin Desiré and more, with the squad only set to keep growing as more people try out the shoes. Check out the team and the shoes in action in their debut video, 'First Times Are Special', below!

That's enough chit-chat though. Head to the shop to browse the full range of Village PM skate shoes and buy now from CSC. Or, find out more about the latest skate product on the CSC Blog. Safe.